What Percentage of Americans Owns Stock?

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- With the stock market experiencing record volatility since the nationwide outbreak of COVID-19 in the U.S., it is fair to ask what percentage of Americans are personally exposed to the market's financial risks and windfalls.

Thus far in 2020, Gallup finds 55% of Americans reporting that they own stock, based on polls conducted in March and April. This is identical to the average 55% recorded in 2019 and similar to the average of 54% Gallup has measured since 2010.

Line graph. Trend from 1998 to 2020 in percentage of U.S. adults who own stock, based on annual averages. The rate was 60% in 1998 and remained near this level through 2009, but has since trended lower. The figure has been steady at 55% from 2008 to 2020.

Gallup's measure of consumer stock ownership is based on a question asking respondents about any individual stocks they may own, as well as stocks included in a mutual fund or retirement savings account, like a 401(k) or IRA.

Stock ownership was more common from 2001 to 2008 when an average 62% of U.S. adults said they owned stock -- but it fell after the 2007-2009 recession and has not fully rebounded.

Stock ownership is strongly correlated with household income, formal education, age and race.

In 2020, the percentages owning stock range from highs of 85% of adults with postgraduate education and 84% of those in households earning $100,000 or more to lows of 22% of those in households earning less than $40,000 and 28% of Hispanics.

Stock Ownership Among Major U.S. Subgroups, 2020

Yes, own stock

No, do not

No opinion

No. of interviews

%

%

%

U.S. adults

55

45

*

2,027

Men

58

42

*

1,052

Women

52

47

1

975

18-29

32

68

*

298

30-49

59

41

*

526

50-64

66

33

*

541

65+

58

41

1

642

Non-Hispanic white

64

36

1

1,458

Non-Hispanic black

42

58

*

200

Hispanic

28

72

*

224

Postgraduate

85

14

*

401

College graduate only

77

23

*

462

Some college

54

45

1

678

No college

33

66

*

459

$100,000+

84

15

*

501

$40,000-$99,999

65

35

*

766

<$40,000

22

77

*

540

Republicans

61

37

1

624

Independents

51

49

*

726

Democrats

56

44

*

623

Gallup, March-April 2020

Learn more about the decline in U.S. stock ownership since the Great Recession:

The 2020 results are based on combined data from telephone interviews conducted March 13-22, 2020, and April 1-14, 2020. The combined data represent a random sample of 2,027 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. For results based on the total sample of national adults, the margin of sampling error is ±3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. All reported margins of sampling error include computed design effects for weighting.

Each sample of national adults includes a minimum quota of 70% cellphone respondents and 30% landline respondents, with additional minimum quotas by time zone within region. Landline and cellular telephone numbers are selected using random-digit-dial methods.